Daniel kobnbati



UNITED STATES DANIEL KORNBAU, 0F4 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

ONE-HALF TOJI. SHOCK, OF SAME `PLAGE.

PATENT OFFICE.

ASSIGNOR OF CABLE-CONDUIT FoP. l'JISIIQFEGaoUNo oABLEs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,384, dated July 14, 1885.

Application filed February 9, 1885.

To'aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL KORNBAU, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Cable-Conduits for Underground Traction- (lables, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is applicable to that class of conduits or tunnels in which plates or sides of sheet metal spring for a certain distance in parallel vertical planes from a horizontal base, and then gradually contract until at the top they are overlapped to form two inturned facing horizontal anges, between and by which is formed a longitudinal slot through which the grip which connects the car with the cable in the conduit passes.

It has been recently found that the side platesof conduits or tunnels of the above class have a tendency in cold weather to come together to an extent suflicient to bring the inturned llanges so closely together as to narrow or contract the slot between them to an extent sufficient to prevent either the introduction or passage of a grip, which, 'at ordinary temperatures, is adapted both to be introduced through and travel within said slot. Of course, when these conduits have been laid it is manifestly impossible to brace them from their exteriors without tearing up the roadbed beneath which they are disposed.

The object of my invention is the production of an internal stiffening-brace for a sheetmetal conduit. A series of these braces can be introduced within the interior of the conduit by an entrance `which the man-holes afford, and can be set up in place without the necessity of tearing up the road-bed or unsetting, removing, or displacing any part of the conduit proper.

A brace which embodies my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective of a brace conveniently embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central sectional side elevational view, lookin g toward the inner face of one arm of the brace, the section being supposed through the cross-head. Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the brace in -spoudin g parts.

(No model.)

place within a conduit, which latter is represen ted in section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre- A A are the two armsof the brace, which are rigidly connected together by being either forged or ,castV solid with or otherwise firmly secured to a transverse horizontal cross-head, B. The arms rise vertically for a certain dis- 6o tance in parallel pla-nes, and then by being curved mutually converge, until near their upper extremities they are within a less distance of each other than at the base. The exact form of these arms,however, is comparatively indifferent, as they are preferably conformed` somewhat to the transverse sectional contour of the conduit itself. The inner faces of the said arms are, as to their curved portions, conveniently providedwith strengthening-ribs a 7o a', which simply serve to re-enforce the curved portions and prevent any tendency of the upper extremities of the arms toapproach more nearly together than the distance apart of their normal set.

C U are the walls ofthe conduit, and D the base-plate thereof.

E is the slot, and c c the inturned flanges which bound and between which said slot is formed. 1

The cross-head of the brace is adapted to be rigidly secured to the base-plate of the conduit by means of bolts ff, which pass through suitable holes ih the cross-head B and engage with holes tapped in the substance of the baseplate D. Itis obvious that the holes for these bolts can be readily drilled or tapped and the bolts readily screwed in from within the conduit.

The upper extremities of the arms of the 9o brace are drilled and tapped and provided with bolts g g, the points of the Shanks of which are preferably conical. These bolts are adapted as to their extremities to seat y themselves within holes, seats, indentations, notches, or conical depressions IL h', punched, drilled, or otherwise formed in the walls of the conduit at such positions as to receive the points of the said bolts g g when the walls of the conduit are at their normal set, or when roc the slot between the flanges of said walls is of normal breadth.

Instead of the bolts g g', lugs, pins, screws, studs, or kindred contrivances may be substituted and engaged with either holes or depressions, or with ribs or lugs or ridges formed in or applied to the walls of the conduit.

Assume that the slot has contracted to anJ excessive and injurious extent, it will readily be understood that it can be wedged or pried apart, and, by suitable blocks or spread ing bars, retained at its normal width, and that, when so retained, the exact points where it is desired to drill or punch or otherwise indent the holes or depressions 71J lL can be marked in the inner walls of the conduit and the said depressions formed. After this has been done, and the brace erected, it is obvious that the bolts g g can be screwed up until their points seat themselves firmly in the said holes or depressions, after which the walls of the conduit will be held out by the said bolts through the resistance of the rigid arms of the brace, and any further contraction of the slot will be impossible. It is manifest that it is perfectly possible to introduce these braces through the man-holes and within the interior of the conduit, and to set them u p therein by simply drilling the holes in the basevplate and forming the depressions in the walls.

The operation of screwing in the bolts f f and g g can, of course, be readily performed from within the conduit.

Having thus described a good form of my brace, and what I .believe to be the simplest and best mode for applying it, it is proper for me to say that the gist of my' invention resides in the construction of an armed brace, broadly, as such adapted to be introduced within a conduit and fixedly secured thereto by means of bolts, pins, screws, lugs, or kindred contrivances applied from within.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. An internal stiening-brace for a metal conduit or tunnel, consisting of a cross-head adapted to be xedly secured within the conduit, and of two arms erected from said crosshead, serving as braces to the walls thereof, and provided with bolts or kindred contrivances for engagement with recesses, indentations, ribs, notches, or holes formed at suitable points within the walls of the conduit, substantially as set forth.' f

2. As a new article of manufacture, an internal brace for a conduit, consisting of a crosshead and of two arms, being a part thereof, or secured thereto and sprung therefrom, substantially as described.

3. As an article of manufacture, an internal stiffening-brace for a conduit, consisting of a cross-head, B, and curved or bow-shaped arms A A', substantially as set forth.

4. As an article of manufacture, an internal stiffening-brace for a conduit, consisting of a cross-head, B, and curved or bow-shaped arms A A, provided with strengthening-ribs a a', substantially as described.

5. As an article of manufacture, an internal stiffening-brace for a conduit, consisting of a cross-head, B, and curved or bow-shaped arms provided with holes in the cross-head for bolts, and with threaded holes and setbolts near the upper extremities of the arms, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 7th day of February, A. D. 1885.

DANIEL KO RNBAU.

In presence of J. BoNsALL TAYLOR, JOHN JoLLEY, Jr. 

